This invention relates generally to animal feeders and, in particular, bird feeders. More specifically, the method of the present invention relates to bird feeders of the nectar feed type, such as hummingbird, oriole and butterfly bird feeders and methods of filling such feeders.
Nectar feeders are very well known in the bird feeding field. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical prior art nectar feeder 10 includes a saucer-shaped base 12 that includes flat bottom surface 14 that serves as a floor for a reservoir trough 16 that is typically annular-shaped. A hanger 18 is typically connected, which can be removably connected, to a center area 20 in the middle of the ring-shaped reservoir 16. A cover 22 includes a center aperture 24 so that it can be easily placed over the hanger 18 into releasable engagement with the top open end 26 of the reservoir trough 16 of the base 12. Typically, the cover 22 is frictionally engaged with the base 12 so it can be easily removed when desired.
The cover 22 includes a number of feed ports 28 about the periphery thereof to permit a bird, such as a hummingbird, to access the nectar feed 30 therethrough. The feed ports 28 are commonly configured to appear as flowers and the cover 22 is typically of different colors depending on which type of birds are to be attracted to the feeder 10. Such configuration can be modified to attract different types of birds, as desired.
As can be understood, when the nectar 30 within the feeder 10 has been consumed, it must be re-filled so that more birds can feed. In accordance with the prior art method of filling the prior art feeder 10 of FIG. 1, the feeder 10 is first placed on a support surface 32 with the flat bottom surface 14 of the base 12 in communication with the support surface 32, which can be a table, for example. The cover 22 is then typically removed from the base 12 and routed over the hanger 18 to reveal the annular-shaped nectar feed trough 16. The hanger 18 can be removed before removal of the cover 22, if desired. Further details of the prior art feeder 10 of FIG. 1 need not be provided as this construction is well-know in the art.
Once the nectar feed trough 16 is exposed, nectar feed 30 can be poured therein in the amount desired, all while the base 12 of the feeder is lying flat on a support surface 32. When the feed trough 16 is preferably filled, the cover 22 is attached back onto the base 12. The cover 22 is routed over the hanger 18 if the hanger 18 was left connected to the base 12 or attached directly to the base 12 after which the hanger 18 can be re-attached. The entire feeder 10 can now be hung from a tree or post (not shown) via the hook 18a. 
Prior art nectar bird feeders 10 can be easily filled because the bottom surface 14 of the base 12 is substantially flat which enables it to be placed level on a support surface 32. However, such a method of filling cannot be employed if the bottom surface 14 of the base 12 is not flat or substantially flat. As will be described below, it may be desirable to provide a base that is not flat or substantially flat where an ornamental or stabilizing member downwardly depends from the bottom surface of the base of the feeder. In such a case, the base of the feeder cannot simply be placed on a flat support surface, such as a table. Also, the appropriate support surface, to accommodate a non-flat bottom surface of the base, is typically not available.
Therefore, the prior art methods of filling a nectar feeder, that are employed for prior art feeders 10 with bases 12 with flat bottoms 14, cannot be used in feeders with that have a base bottom surface which are not flat or substantially flat. Thus, the prior art methods of filling nectar feeder suffer from various disadvantages that make them unusable with certain nectar feeders. Therefore, there is a need for a method of filling a nectar bird feeder that can accommodate a feeder with a base that has a non-flat bottom surface. There is further need for a method for filling a nectar bird feeder that is easy to carry out quickly and with little or no mess. There is yet a further need for a method of filling a nectar bird feeder that can accommodate a bird feeder with an ornamental or stabilizing member that downwardly depends from the bottom surface of the base member.